प्रयोजनेषु ये सक्ता न विशेषेषु भारत ॥
तान् अहं पण्डितान् मन्ये विशेषा हि प्रसङ्गिनः ॥
यं प्रशंसन्ति कितवा यं प्रशंसन्ति चारणाः ॥
यं प्रशंसन्ति बन्धक्यो न स जीवति मानवः ॥
हित्वा तान् परमेष्वासान् पाण्डवान् अमितौजसः ॥
आहितं भारतैश्वर्यं त्वया दुर्योधने महत् ॥
तं द्रक्ष्यसि परिभ्रष्टं तस्मात् त्वं नचिराद् इव ॥
ऐश्वर्यमदसंमूढं बलिं लोकत्रयाद् इव ॥
prayojaneṣu ye saktā na viśeṣeṣu bhārata ||
tān ahaṃ paṇḍitān manye viśeṣā hi prasaṅginaḥ ||
yaṃ praśaṃsanti kitavā yaṃ praśaṃsanti cāraṇāḥ ||
yaṃ praśaṃsanti bandhakyo na sa jīvati mānavaḥ ||
hitvā tān parameṣvāsān pāṇḍavān amitaujasaḥ ||
āhitaṃ bhārataiśvaryaṃ tvayā duryodhane mahat ||
taṃ drakṣyasi paribhraṣṭaṃ tasmāt tvaṃ nacirād iva ||
aiśvaryamadasaṃmūḍhaṃ baliṃ lokatrayād iva ||
That man of whom gamblers, flatterers, and women of ill repute speak in praise is, in truth, more dead than alive. Having forsaken those mighty bowmen of measureless power -- I mean, O Bharata, the sons of Pandu -- you have entrusted to Duryodhana the great empire of the Bharatas. Therefore you shall soon see this swelling greatness fall, even as Bali fell from the three worlds.
cb258afb83e4 · published Jul 17, 2026, 4:02:44 AM UTC
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This passage (5.38.41-44) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort for peace unfolds against the backdrop of an already inevitable war. Key themes: the Pandavas, Duryodhana. Dharma here reveals itself through speech, through the choice of an envoy, through faithfulness to one's word, and through the responsibility kings bear for the consequences of their decisions.